fusillade762:Lsherm: I was wondering what was keeping them from kicking in the windows to get to the dining room - or what was keeping them from stealing everything that wasn't nailed down.

Maybe Ukrainians are just well behaved mobbers?

I wondered why the place wasn't in flames myself. From TFA:

Ukrainian security and volunteers from among Independence Square protesters have joined forces to protect the presidential countryside retreat from vandalism and looting

For now.

I predict there will be quite the bonfire in another day or two. I notice that the guys with the armor and military-style weaponry are the ones actually INSIDE the residence, going through the paperwork.

ekdikeo4:... so "protestors" just took over this country's government, and they are completely restrained when visitng the deposed leader's residence, choosing to treat it like a photo op and vacation visit?

what doesn't make sense here?

No, it makes sense. Ukraine is a pretty big place. Not every Ukrainian is going to be able to go see the abhorrent corruption of the place. But it's possibly the most powerful political message they could show the Eastern supporters of the deposed President.

ekdikeo4:... so "protestors" just took over this country's government, and they are completely restrained when visitng the deposed leader's residence, choosing to treat it like a photo op and vacation visit?

what doesn't make sense here?

What sense would burning it down really make?I'm getting the feeling that destroying their community's assets is not number one on their to do list.

Those are goshawks... The brown ones are juveniles and the gray blue ones are adults. The only reason you'd kill and display dead goshawks like that would be if you were a landskeeper who kept game birds for hunting and didn't like the raptorial competition. They display them like that in order to 'scare off' other hawks (hint: it doesn't work). Poor goshawks... that breaks my heart. :(

Lsherm:I was wondering what was keeping them from kicking in the windows to get to the dining room - or what was keeping them from stealing everything that wasn't nailed down.

Maybe Ukrainians are just well behaved mobbers?

Why would you expect them to behave like the thieves they're removing from their government? That would make far less sense than peacefully occupying the grounds as they have and showing the world what has been stolen from them...

narkor:Yulia Tymoshenko was believed to be the richest person in Ukraine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yulia_Tymoshenko - so it's interesting that social media is having a go at the person who replaced her for being a rich bastard.

Alphax:I was never sure why Yulia went to prison.. just because he could do it?

Because Russia couldn't get away with assassinating her after their botched assassination attempt on a Yushchenko, but they still needed to send a threatening message to anyone else thinking about opposing them.

Hiro-ACiD:Lsherm: I was wondering what was keeping them from kicking in the windows to get to the dining room - or what was keeping them from stealing everything that wasn't nailed down.

Maybe Ukrainians are just well behaved mobbers?

Why would you expect them to behave like the thieves they're removing from their government? That would make far less sense than peacefully occupying the grounds as they have and showing the world what has been stolen from them...

Because crowds of people steal if the opportunity presents itself absent outside control. It's human nature.

narkor:Yulia Tymoshenko was believed to be the richest person in Ukraine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yulia_Tymoshenko - so it's interesting that social media is having a go at the person who replaced her for being a rich bastard.

Did she get rich before or DURING her time as a government leader? The details are important, here.

HotWingAgenda:narkor: Yulia Tymoshenko was believed to be the richest person in Ukraine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yulia_Tymoshenko - so it's interesting that social media is having a go at the person who replaced her for being a rich bastard.

My first thought as well.

I think the point is that he was an academic who became a politician and in theory was never in fact wealthy at all. He literally just bought all this using public money, treating the public purse as a personal account in the fashion of all dictators.

The issue of how Tymoshenko got rich is of course controversial (put me on the 'all the oligarchs are thieves and should be in jail' list).. but not in the same way as this at least.

forgotmydamnusername:gnarlywizzard: this is from the backyard somewhere. kinda spooky if you ask me.[i.imgur.com image 850x850]

To put the most charitable possible spin on it, perhaps the birds were being hung for future consumption. Still, I don't think this is normally done by crucifying them.

Well, you can buy imitation goshawks to display as scarecrows to keep other birds away, this looks like a similar situation but for someone too rich to settle for imitation anything. Presumably they were hung up dead, not crucified. Still kind of a strange pose...

ekdikeo4:... so "protestors" just took over this country's government, and they are completely restrained when visitng the deposed leader's residence, choosing to treat it like a photo op and vacation visit?

what doesn't make sense here?

It would actually make no sense to destroy it all. All that shiat was bought with their money, by keeping the assets intact they can recoup some of the wealth for their country. Also they can find incriminating documentation in there. Lastly, they can use the photos and videos of the opulence for propaganda purposes ("See what we were dealing with, rest of the world?").

Do you just instantly assume that all people protesting/revolting against their government are unhinged savages who are incapable of rational thought or self-control?

Hmm, the President's house is occupied, at least 17 people died yesterday, and the protesters are now in charge of the government. Coup is french for blow, and is short for the phrase coup d'etat, blow against the state, and is usually reserved for a violent deposing of a government.

How is this anything but a 'coup'? I mean, literally and figuratively? I'm sure it is a blow to the Ukraine president.